Neighborhoods are fighting Waze, GPS apps from ruining streets

February 20, 2018

Transcript

Well, Waze is wonderful and Waze is hell.
It depends on whether you're getting somewhere amazingly quickly because it's sending you down those previously unknown, sneaky ways.
Or if your neighborhood just became a mess because your house sits on one of those previously unknown, sneaky ways.
And it seems like 2018 may be the year when this comes to a head.
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Cities are starting to fight back.
Like Leona, New Jersey, which has had enough it seems of being a doormat for Manhattan commuters and is putting up signs that make sixty small streets off limits unless you live on them.
That means wazirs get lost.
The residents are tired of being trapped in their own driveway.
How long does it take you to get out of your driveway?
Sometimes it takes 10 minutes, 15 minutes, it depends on who's gonna be nice and how much I'm gonna push up against their car until they let me out.
In Los Altos Hills, right in the heart of SIlicon Valley, they've done some similar street sign restrictions.
In Studio City, right in the back of Hollywood, they've Got the idea of doing something similar.
In Alabama, some towns have tried it, but they've been told by the courts, these signs can only be a suggestion.
They aren't the law.
Towns have found that Waze will often red line areas with some restrictions, taking them out of their arsenal of sneaky back ways.
In 1000 feet, stay to the right.
This is more effective than guerilla techniques like residents entering bogus potholes and accidents that quickly get spotted,and may get you banned from Waze.
Related to all this is a new tool from insurance company Liberty Mutual.
It visualizes what you might call the hecticity factor of a given street, including the amount of traffic and whether its characterized by a lot of stop and go and hard breaking.
Illuminating before you buy a house on what appears to be quiet, but turns out not to be.
I was surprised to see Ford announce in the top of 2018 that it is going to start visual support in the dash via Their app connection, their sync app technology.
Usually car makers are pretty risk averse.
It's unusual to see one embrace something that is such a third rail.
In all, if you're using Ways, and you're going on some of those sneaky back roads, be aware of the payload that you are bringing with you.
And if you're house hunting, look for a cul-de-sac.
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